


shirts don't have feelings

by glassplanet



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, and no shallies on my lawn, and the garrison sucks, but it isn't langst. fuck that shit, it's a bit angsty, lance gets loved and supported :), slight s6 spoilers, veronica has a wife so that's great :), veronica mcclain - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-05-30 06:47:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15091316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glassplanet/pseuds/glassplanet
Summary: Veronica loves her baby brother.





	shirts don't have feelings

**Author's Note:**

> the creative process behind this? i thought "wow... i love loving sibling relationships." and then i wrote almost nonstop for like 4 days straight.

Veronica is almost 9 years old when her baby brother is born. Her grandmother drives her, Marco, and Luis to the hospital as fast as she can manage without hurting anyone, which is maybe a little too fast for a grandmother.

They’re in the delivery room, their mother is holding a bundle of blankets in her arms and looking at it a little too fondly for it to just be a pile of blankets.

”Is that him?” Veronica asks. Her mother nods.

“His name is Leandro,” She says, with a smile on her face that Veronica’s sure only mothers can have, “Think you can handle holding him?”

“Can I, please?” asks Veronica, and then she’s standing next to her mother’s bed, with a baby Leandro in her arms. A baby brother. Not a little brother, like Marco, who’s only a year younger than her and likes to pick fights when he gets bored, a baby brother. Leandro. She’s looking down at his face, and she’s never seen any face more beautiful. He’s a newborn baby and he looks all squishy and stupid, Veronica loves it. He’s looking up at her, trying to make sense of who she is. He must decide he doesn’t care enough about that to get in the way of his nap time, he does that thing that babies do where they tiredly smack their lips before almost immediately falling asleep. Veronica feels her entire being flare up with fondness. The whole world is new to Leandro, everything is happening for the first time ever. No one knows what he’s going to be like, not even him. Veronica decides she’s going to give him all the love she can, so that he can be the best person he can be. Veronica decides she’s going to be the best big sister ever. Other big sisters could beat it.

-

Leandro has just barely turned 5 by the time Veronica’s 14th birthday rolls around. He’s the most excited out of their entire family, his excitement surrounding Veronica’s birthday even surpasses her own. But, to be fair, he’s 5 years old and there’s cake.

“Mine first!” He demands when it’s time for Veronica to open her presents. Veronica watches as he hops out of their mother’s lap and sprints over to where all the presents have been piled up. He looks for a minute, at one point looking very distressed, like he’s lost the present he was planning on giving to her, and then looks immensely relieved and excited as he pulls it carefully out of the pile.

After retrieving his gift, he goes back over to her, and holds it out. It’s a piece of paper, folded in half and taped shut. Veronica takes extra special care in peeling the tape off, so that she won’t rip the paper. She unfolds it, and there’s a drawing. Her and Leandro, drawn in the one style little kids have other than stick figures. Blobs with faces. Her and Leandro as blobs with faces, holding hands, with _HAPPY BIRTHDAY!_ written in messy crayon across the top of the paper. _She loves it._

“Mamá had to help me spell ‘Birthday,’ but I did everything else all by myself!” He announces, proudly puffing his chest out like a bird. “Do you like it?” He asks, looking up at her with hopeful eyes.

“It’s my favorite,” she tells him.

Leandro makes an exaggerated confused face, raising one eyebrow, making his jaws go in different directions, and tilting his head so that it looks like his ear is lying on his shoulder. He completes this with a loud “HUH?” sound. He is so adorable and one day this would kill everyone, but for now, all Veronica can do is smile. “That’s just the first one!” He tells her.

“Don’t care. This one’s my most favorite,” She bends down to kiss him on the forehead, “My most favorite person in the whole wide world gave it to me.” She watches Leandro’s face light up, and she’s sure that that’s the best feeling in the world. “I’m gonna go put it somewhere safe, so it won’t get messed up and I can keep it forever. Okay?”

“Okay!” says Leandro, and he beams.

She tapes it right above her bed, so that she can see it every single day.

The night comes to an end, and Leandro has a realization. “Roni, Roni!” He tugs at her arm excitedly, “Do you know what number comes after _14?_ ” He asks, as if possessing this knowledge goes hand in hand with knowing all of the universe’s greatest secrets.

“No,” says Veronica easily, because she likes joking around and making her baby brother feel smart, “I forgot how to count that high.”

“15!” He exclaims, “Your quince’s next year!”

“Oh,” says Veronica, who still hasn’t come to terms with the fact that she’s not 13 anymore. “Yep, you’re right.”

“I don’t know how to do the dances yet,” says Leandro, in a panicked tone. “I have to start learning _right now._ ” 

Veronica chuckles, “I don’t think you’re gonna be tall enough to dance with me properly, papito.”

Leandro narrows his eyes and purses his lips in an exaggerated serious expression, and he says in an exaggerated serious voice that does not at all match how tiny he is, _“Watch me.”_

Veronica laughs. She loves him so much.

-

When Leandro is 6, and Veronica is 15, he’s mastered the steps. He doesn’t care how short he is compared to her right now. _Leandro dances at her quince, and he dances properly._ He’s tall for his age, but he’s still small compared to her. She has to be mindful of him, because he is still small, but he sure is a good dancer. She’s proud of him. They get a lot of ‘Awww's from the friends and family attending, and Veronica feels a surge of pride course through her. _That’s my baby brother you’re ‘Awww'ing at._ He deserved all the ‘Awww’s in the world.

-

When Leandro is 7, Veronica is almost 16. Having a little sibling that’s a lot younger than you can be nice. Thanks to Leandro, Veronica is sure she wants kids someday. Having a little sibling that’s a lot younger than you can be hard. It’s sometimes very hard because Leandro is very much 7 and Veronica is very much almost 16.

Veronica is lying on her bed reading something on her phone, old fanfiction in English for old TV shows and she is very much invested, when Leandro comes into her room without knocking.

“Give me a bath,” He says.

But Veronica had already started doing something else, and almost-16 year olds are very one-track minded. She doesn't _want_ to give him a bath right now, she wants to find out when Korra would figure out Asami likes her first, it’s so obvious. If she could just finish this chapter-- Or, she gets another idea.

She can’t ask if he can get Luis to do it, because Luis left for college a little over a month ago. They video chat nearly every day, but she doubts Luis could bathe him through the screen. “Can’t you get Marco to do it? I gave you one yesterday.”

Apparently, she shouldn't have asked that. Leandro starts bawling.

“Marco’s mean! Marco’s a meanie butthead!” He says, and he plops himself down on her bedroom floor.

“What?” asks Veronica, sitting up now, “When did this happen? I thought you loved Marco.”

“Well, he--” Leandro sniffles, “He’s mean and he doesn’t share! I want you to help me.”

“What?” She asks again, “What wasn’t he sharing?”

“Y-yesterday,” Leandro stutters and wipes his eyes on the back of his hands, “He wouldn’t let me play his Pokémon game,” he says in a tone that implies that that’s the worst thing that ever happened to him. It probably was. Veronica supposes that it’s a good thing he’s been given a good enough life that being denied Pokémon is the worst thing that’s happened.

“Oh,” says Veronica, “I think I know why.” It’s because Marco’s very attached to his game and there’s only one save file on it. But, Marco does have to play in English because the language settings on his particular game cartridge are weird. She’ll tell Leandro both those things.

“Why?” asks Leandro, looking up at her with still watery eyes.

“It’s because you can’t read English very well yet,” She explains.

“Kids at my school play in Spanish all the time!” Leandro argues.

“The language settings on Marco’s are weird, they don’t have a Spanish option,” She tells him. “I kind of _think_ that he got it illegally.”

Leandro gasps like a character in one of their grandmother’s telenovelas. “Doesn’t illegal stuff _hurt_ people?”

“Some.” Veronica shrugs. “Some legal stuff hurts people too.” She’s sure Nintendo will survive.

Leandro thinks on that for a while, and decides Veronica’s right. “Oh. Okay.”

“And, Marco really, _really_ likes his game, he doesn’t want _anyone_ to mess him up,” She says, “He won’t even let me play.” 

“But you’re great at games,” says Leandro.

“He likes it _that_ much.” 

Leandro accepts this, and he goes back to the original subject. “Bath Time.”

Even after their conversation, Veronica is still very much a 15 year old that’s 16 next month. “You _still_ can’t get Marco to do it?”

“No! I want you!” says Leandro, and still he hasn’t moved from where he plopped down on her floor. He crosses his arms now. “I’m not moving until _you_ give me a bath.”

“Fine,” Veronica sighs, puts her phone down, and stands up. “Come on.”

“Bath Time!” Leandro cheers, instantly in a better mood. Veronica gives him a bath.

-

When Veronica is 16, Leandro is still seven. He’s home from school, Marco and Veronica are home from school, but neither of their parents are home. Their mother put Veronica in charge before she left. Veronica thinks that Marco shouldn’t cause too much trouble, all he really wants to do is hole up in his room and play Pokémon. Leandro, however, Veronica finds out once he comes to find her, is extremely sad about the fact their parents aren’t there.

“Where’s Mamá and Papá?” He asks. “I miss them.”

“Papá had to work late,” She tells him, “And Mamá has a friend who’s having a really hard time right now, so Mamá had to go help her.”

“Is her friend okay?”

“She will be,” Veronica promises. “Our Mamá has super making-things-better powers.”

“We learned about genetics in science class today,” says Leandro.

“Oh, yeah?” asks Veronica.

“Mhm,” He nods, “Do think you _in-her-i-ted_ the powers Mamá has?” He sounds out the word “inherited” slowly.

“I don’t know,” Veronica shrugs. “Maybe.”

“I hope I do,” says Leandro.

“I love you,” says Veronica, and she kisses his forehead.

An hour passes, their parents aren’t home yet and Leandro is crying now.

“I--” His voice falters through his sobs as he speaks, “I miss Mamá! I miss Papá!” He cries. “Wh--what if they don’t-- What if they don’t come back?” He asks, salty tears streaming down his contorted face.

Having a sibling a lot younger than you can be hard, especially when this happens. “They’ll be back soon,” Veronica promises, holding her arms out to offer him a hug. Leandro practically flings himself at her, wrapping his tiny arms around her torso. Veronica hugs him, Leandro’s still sobbing, but it’s muffled because his face is in her shirt. Her shirt is getting covered in tears and snot now, and it’s gross, but Leandro is way more important than some silly shirt. There’s an infinite amount of shirts in the world, and none of them have feelings, but there’s only one Leandro, and he does.

Leandro spends the next two hours crying, Veronica spends the next two hours reassuring him. Veronica’s exhausted by the end of it, but she thinks it’s worth it. If she could trade all the times Leandro had come to her for comfort for everything in the world, she wouldn’t even think about doing it. Leandro is more important than anything in the world.

Their parents come home around the same time, and Veronica has to cover her ears, because Leandro’s excited squeal is high pitched and loud enough for all of Cuba to hear.

Having a sibling a lot younger than you can be hard. Veronica thinks it’s worth it.

-

Leandro is 11 when Veronica is 20, she’s in her room researching real estate on her desktop computer, and she hears the slow creak of her door opening. She checks the time in the corner of her screen, and it’s almost midnight. She spins in her swivel chair to face Leandro, he’s in his pajamas and wordlessly closing the door. He walks right past her and sits on her bed. Veronica joins him. Something’s wrong with his face, but she can’t place it. “I know why I’m up,” Veronica says, “Why are you up?”

“I was thirsty,” says Leandro, and his voice sounds off too.

“There’s no water in my room,” Veronica tells him, and Leandro’s looking at her computer monitor now.

”Are you moving away?” He asks, changing the subject, and it’s then that Veronica figures out what’s off about his face and voice. They’re blank, void of emotion, _it’s like he’s dead._ If seeing his face light up is the best feeling in the world, then watching as every light gets dimmer has to be the worst. “Veronica?” He says, Veronica glances at her computer and back to Leandro. She might as well tell him now.

“My girlfriend says that they want us to move in together,” She tells him, “And I want to move in with Cameron, too.”

Leandro looks at her, “You’re moving all the way to the _States?_ ” 

“What? No,” Veronica shakes her head at him, “Cameron wants to move here, to Cuba. They want to get far away from their family and I want to stay close to mine, so it works out. I’m trying to find a place close-by, that way it’s easy for all of you to visit, and I’ll make sure that I call and text, okay?”

“Oh. Okay,” says Leandro, but he still doesn’t seem completely okay with it. “Cameron seems nice.”

“They can’t wait to meet you.”

“I can’t either,” He says, but his smile looks even more dead than when his face was vacant of any expression at all.

“I know it’s not the same,” Veronica says, “But I’m not leaving you, I promise. Now,” says Veronica, getting back to the original subject, “Papito, why are you _really_ up?”

“I’m a little old to still be ‘papito',” says Leandro.

“You are wrong,” says Veronica, and she isn’t going to let him change the subject this time, “Please answer my question.”

Leandro sighs. “You know how Mamá and Papá have been acting weird?”

Veronica hasn’t been wanting to confront it, but Leandro is right. They have been acting weird. “Yeah?”

“I-- I wanted to find out why,” says Leandro, “So I... I eavesdropped.”

“Leandro--” Veronica starts, but Leandro cuts her off.

“I know, I _know_ ,” He says, “Eavesdropping is wrong. But I had to know.”

“Okay,” says Veronica, in a soft and gentle tone. “I understand. Continue.”

“They’re getting a divorce,” Leandro audibly fights back a sob on the last word, “Papá’s leaving.”

“Oh.” Veronica has to take a deep breath once she hears that news, and she feels her heart drop out of her chest. She has to stay strong, though, for Leandro. “You know Papá still loves you, right?”

“I know,” says Leandro, “That’s the problem.”

“What?” asks Veronica, because that doesn’t make any sense. “Papito, _how_ is that a problem?”

“Maybe,” says Leandro, and his eyes are watering now, “Maybe if they didn’t pay so much attention to me, they could pay more attention to each oth--”

“Hey, _no._ ” Veronica cuts him off firmly. She holds both of his shoulders, and makes eye contact with him. “You are not going to blame yourself for this, alright? It just wasn’t working out anymore. It has nothing to do with how much they love you.”

The dam breaks, and Leandro is crying. “But I don’t-- I don’t even _de-deserve_ it,” He says, “I’m not super creative and-- and _kind_ like you, or super cool like Marco, or super smart like Luis, and-- and--”

Veronica thinks he’s lying. She thinks he’s all those things, and her heart breaks hearing him say that he isn’t. Her heart breaks hearing him say he doesn’t deserve to be loved. “Leandro, baby, please don’t say that.” Veronica frowns, and looks at him seriously, “I cannot think of a single person in the world _more_ deserving of all the love in it.”

Leandro wipes his eyes on his sleeves, “You’re only saying that because I’m your brother.”

“That’s not true,” says Veronica, “Luis and Marco are my brothers too, and they only deserve a quarter each.”

Leandro doesn’t quite laugh, but his mouth twitches upward for a bit and he lets out a sharp exhale through his nose. Veronica has never been more grateful for anything in the world than her baby brother’s split second of happiness in that moment. She pulls him close to herself, and embraces him. “I’ll mess up your shirt,” He says through his tears, because his face is on her shirt now.

“You are way more important than some silly shirt,” She tells him, “There’s an infinite amount of shirts in the world, and none of them have feelings. There’s only one you, and you do.”

They stay like that for nearly half an hour, Leandro tries to keep his sobs quiet so he doesn’t wake anyone up. He’s still sniffling by the time he pulls away, “I’m sorry,” he says, when he sees the gross wet spot on Veronica’s shirt where he was crying.

“It’s just a shirt, I can wash it,” Veronica tells him.

“Not just that,” Leandro shakes his head, “I’m sorry I always bother you with this stuff, and I should just--”

“You are _not_ bothering me,” Veronica assures him, “People need love and support. It’d bother me more if you just kept it all bottled up and tried to deal with it by yourself.”

Leandro wipes his tears away again, “Can I sleep in here tonight?”

Veronica pushes his bangs back and kisses his forehead. “Of course.”

“I love you,” Leandro tells her.

“I love you, too,” Veronica tells him.

Veronica lets him get into bed first. She turns her light and computer off, changes into pajamas, goes to brush her teeth, and gets into bed next to him.

“Veronica?” asks Leandro, at what feels like 2AM.

“Mngh?” Veronica grumbles.

“Don’t you get tired?” He asks.

“...Huh?” says Veronica, very eloquently.

“Of always being there for everyone. That’s a lot of work,” Leandro clarifies.

“Oh,” says Veronica. “You’re right. It is a lot of work, but sometimes you just-- You just want to do something because it’s the kind thing to do, and not expect anything for it. I think it’s worth it.”

“Someone should be there for you, too,” says Leandro. “People need love and support, like you said. We all do. You shouldn’t have to deal with your things by yourself.”

“Thank you, Leandro,” She says, and she’s smiling.

“I wanna be just like you,” says Leandro, and Veronica feels her entire being swell with love for her baby brother. She loves him so much.

“I love you, Leandro,” She says.

“I love you, too. Hey, can you teach me how to surf?” He asks, “Before you move away?”

“I can start before I move away, but I’m not sure if you’ll be properly taught by then,” She tells him. “Okay?”

“Okay. Thanks, Roni.”

There’s silence for a while, and then, “Do you think chickens ever feel bad about their legs?”

“I think that you should go to sleep, papito.”

“But they have _chicken legs,_ Roni! Actual chicken legs.”

“Goodnight, Leandro.”

Their parents break the news to Leandro, Veronica, Marco, and Luis as a group the next day. Veronica and Leandro act surprised. Later, they comfort Marco and Luis about it together.

-

“Do I _have_ to wear this?” Leandro asks as Veronica fastens the surfing helmet she’s bought for him, “It looks tacky.”

“It’s to keep you safe,” Veronica explains, “I’d rather you look a little tacky than get hurt.”

“How bad could a foamboard hurt me?” Leandro asks, “It’s made of foam.”

“That doesn’t erase all the risks, papito. Just dillutes them,” says Veronica, looking through their bag for her surf wax, Leandro can borrow it. He’s using her first surfboard, too. And he’s just the right size for what was once her second wetsuit. In addition to the helmet, she’s bought him traction pads, ear plugs, and an appropriately lengthed surf leash. She shows him how to get his board ready, and then she covers him in sunscreen.

“Okay,” She says, once he’s all ready. “I want you to try it on the sand first.”

“I don’t even get to go in the water yet?” Leandro asks incredulously.

“You will soon,” Veronica promises, “But the big waves are gonna be a _lot_ later.”

“Okay,” says Leandro, and he stands on his board on the sand. Veronica instructs him through a few basic exercises, to get him comfortable with the surfboard and learn the necessary motions.

They come back to Varadero Beach the next day, and Veronica lets Leandro go into the water this time. She goes into the water too, and stays nearby him, just in case.

Leandro is laughing when he catches his first wave, and Veronica’s heart swells up with pride and joy and love. She’s holding on to the board, he’s definitely not ready for the big waves yet, but it’s a start. He’s surfing. He looks like he was meant to do this.

About a year goes by. He’s 13 years old by the time he’s ready for the bigger waves, and he’s a really, really good surfer. It’s impressive how much he’s achieved, and how hard he worked to achieve it. Veronica’s so proud of him. He learns to like the helmet. She keeps a close eye on him, though, because she’s still scared that he might get hurt. She supposes, that’s just how people are about their baby brothers.

Leandro never gets any major surfing injuries. Veronica thanks God.

-

When Leandro is 15, Veronica is 24. She’s in her own house now, not far from the one she grew up in, happily married to Cameron, and one of the mothers of a beautiful baby girl named Angela, affectionately nicknamed ‘Angelita' by her Tío Leandro. It’s probably what she would’ve been nicknamed anyway, but Leandro called her that first, so he’s taking the credit. Leandro, Angela, and Cameron have been tied for Veronica’s favorite person in the world for a good while now.

Veronica is adjusting a picture frame, the one she’s put the gift Leandro gave her for her 14th birthday in, when she hears a rapid knocking on the front door. _“Hey!”_ She yells at it, “I am _coming.”_

She forgets about being irritated by the rapid knocking once she opens the door to see who it is. It’s Leandro, heaving and sweaty, and carrying a paper bag with no automobiles, bicycles, or any convenient mode of transportation in sight.

“Did you… _run_ all the way over here?” She asks, still trying to look for some sort of vehicle that he could’ve gotten to her house in.

“No,” says Leandro, “I walked, I didn’t want this--” He pulls out a mug painted ocean blue with the words _WORLD’S BEST SISTER_ written in English with big white block letters, “--to get broken.” 

“Is that for me?” Veronica asks.

“No,” says Leandro, as he’s handing it to her, “I was planning on getting a Sharpie and writing _‘in-law’_ at the bottom so I could give it to Cameron.” He’s making jokes, but Veronica’s sure Cameron would appreciate a mug like that. This one is hers, though. Sorry, Cam.

“It’s mine now,” Veronica tells him, “Poor Cameron will never know what’s been taken from them,” She does an evil laugh.

“ _Thief,_ ” says Leandro, with an exaggerated appalled expression. “You disgust me.” He tries to keep a straight face for more than three seconds and fails, because he starts laughing. “It really is yours, though,” He clarifies, just in case she’s confused, “Just so you know.”

“I got that,” Veronica smiles, “Thank you. But, why are you breathing so heavily if you walked?” She asks, pursing her lips in confusion. “You’re in shape.”

“Because I was happy-bouncing on your doorstep for the past five minutes,” Leandro explains, and he looks so excited he might burst. He’s smiling so wide that Veronica’s scared his face might tear in half.

“Okay,” Veronica moves out of the doorway to let him in, “Come inside and get some water and then you can tell me why.”

Veronica puts her new mug away while Leandro gets a water bottle from the fridge. He finishes it in 10 seconds, and then announces, “I got accepted!”

“Really?” asks Veronica, eyes wide and smiling with excitement, “To that American school?”

“Yes!” Leandro nods, visibly fighting back the urge to start bouncing again, “The Galaxy Garrison,” He tells her.

“That’s great, papito,” He’s a good 2 inches taller than her now, so she has to reach up to push his bangs back. Leandro leans down a bit for her, “I am so proud of you.” She kisses him on the forehead.

He’s hugging her tightly all of a sudden, “Thank you,” He says, “Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you so much.” He’s really sweaty, it was hot outside. Veronica hardly cares.

Veronica laughs a happy laugh, “For what, Leandro? You did this on your own.” She hugs him back.

“I never even would’ve applied if it wasn’t for you,” Leandro tells her, “I didn’t think they’d even consider me, but you-- You _never_ gave up on me, not even when I gave up on myself. I couldn’t have done this without you. Thank you _so much._ I love you.”

Veronica squeezes him in their hug for a second, “I love you, too. Make sure that you call,” She tells him, “Or else I’ll learn your schedule and start calling you in the middle of class.”

“That’s funny,” Leandro chuckles, pulling away from the hug, “But please don’t actually do that. The Garrison’s supposed to be super strict.”

“Really?” Veronica asks, “Then, I hope you don’t get into too much trouble for how often you sneak out.”

Leandro stares at her, wide-eyed, “How do you know that I--” He catches himself, “I, uh-- I mean, I don’t _sneak out,_ ” He lies, and Veronica smirks at him, because she knows he’s lying.

“Okay, maybe _sometimes,_ ” He admits, “But I won’t do that at the Garrison, I promise.”

“Papito,” says Veronica, “You shouldn’t make promises you plan on breaking.”

“I-- I’m not gonna _break it_ \--” Leandro sputters, Veronica looks at him like she doesn’t believe him, because she doesn’t.

In true 15-year-old baby brother fashion, Leandro sticks his tongue out at her. Veronica is 24, but she’s still a big sister. She laughs at him.

-

Leandro is 16 when Veronica is 25. He’s a cargo pilot at the Garrison, and his face is taking up Veronica’s computer screen. They’re video chatting.

“Remember Keith?” Leandro asks, and Veronica does. It’s hard to forget Leandro’s ‘rival', since he talks about him so often. “He stabbed Commander Iverson in the eye today.”

That was not what Veronica was expecting to hear when Keith was mentioned, she moves her mouth trying to figure out what she should say. “He _what?_ ” She settles on.

“With a _fork!_ ” Leandro exclaims, and he’s smiling for some reason. “It was disgusting! They’re gonna have to take Iverson’s eye out and stitch the socket closed permanently.”

“Why…” Veronica swallows the vomit that’s creeping up her throat, “Why did he _do_ that?”

“Because Iverson was being a bas--” Leandro cuts himself off when Cameron walks by the webcam with one-year-old Angela in their arms and Veronica gives him a stern look. _“Rude person,”_ He corrects himself, as Cameron pulls up a chair for themself and sits Angela down in Veronica’s lap so she can talk to Tío Leandro, too. Angela’s version of talking right now is just babbling, but she’d probably like to babble at her uncle. His face lights up when he sees her, “Hi, Angelita,” He cooes, “Are you being super good?”

Cameron gestures at the wireless keyboard, and Veronica hands it to them. Veronica clicks the messages tab open so Leandro can see what they’re typing. _‘She misses you :(‘_

“Aw,” Leandro frowns, with an exaggerated pouty lip, “I miss you, too, Angelita. It’ll take a while, but I promise I’ll come home, okay?”

Angela babbles at the screen. Veronica still wants to know more about Keith stabbing Iverson’s eye out, “What was Iverson being rude about?” She asks, and Angela laughs while she bounces her on her leg.

“The Kerberos Mission,” says Leandro, “Apparently, Keith was really close with one of the crew members, Takashi Shirogane, and Iverson was saying rude things, so,” Leandro shrugs, “Keith got mad and stabbed his eye out. Now he’s expelled. It’s weird, I actually _don’t_ hate him right now. Keith, I mean. Iverson could cure cancer and I’d still hate him.”

Cameron is making themself a part of the conversation now, _‘Good. It is wrong to say nasty things about a good dead man’_

“I know!” Leandro exclaims, “Iverson had it coming, he wasn’t even _trying_ to be a _nice person_ about it--”

“Lance?” Someone interrupts. It’s Hunk, the boy from Samoa that Leandro had bonded with over being in a new country. Veronica is glad Leandro has someone in America who’s going through the same thing. Hunk asks Leandro something in English, and Leandro answers. Veronica notes that he no longer has a Cuban accent when he speaks English, instead, he sounds American.

“Hi, Lance’s sister, Lance’s sister-in-law, Lance’s niece,” Hunk says, in Spanish, and he waves through the screen. Someone calls for him, and he takes a few seconds to process that he’s being summoned. “Bye, Lance’s sister, Lance’s sister-in-law, Lance’s niece,” Hunk says, still in Spanish, then he leaves.

 _‘????’_ Cameron types, and Veronica agrees with her wife.

“Do you want me to start calling you ‘Lance' instead of Leandro?” She asks.

“Huh?” Leandro quirks an eyebrow, “Oh, no. I’m just having people here call me Lance now. Gets them to leave me alone about Leandro, and it’s easier for them to pronounce. They kept calling me Lee-and-row,” He explains, “I’ve had a few kids ask to call me Leo, but I think a Leo named Leo is kind of redundant. I still like you guys calling me Leandro, though.”

“Oh,” Veronica says, “Okay, Leandro.”

Angela is babbling again, making “Lahh” sounds. “Lancey Lance!” She laughs, “Lancey Lance.”

“Whoa,” says Leandro, “She wasn’t talking the last time I talked to you guys, did she start already?” He asks, and he’s so, so excited for her.

“Well,” Veronica says, smiling wide. “I guess _now_ she’s started.”

“Wait,” says Leandro, and he asks, breathlessly, “Were those her _first words?_ ”

“Yes,” says Veronica, and Leandro’s entire face is filled with love.

 _‘Thief :/’_ Cameron types. _‘Her first word was supposed to be mamá :( come on we had two times the chance!’_

Leandro chuckles, and then whispers softly, “Oh my goodness, I can’t believe it.” He’s smiling a smile that’s so, so special, in a way that’s impossible to describe. “She’s growing up so _fast_.”

“She is,” Veronica agrees, and she feels that smile on her face. That smile that only mothers can have. That reminds her of something, “Leandro,” She says, “Cameron and I want to tell you something.”

Cameron nods, and Leandro gives them both his undivided attention.

“We’re planning on having another baby soon,” Veronica tells him. “Well, adopting this time.”

Leandro’s smiling again, he’s smiling so wide. "That’s great!” He exclaims, and he’s so happy for them. “They’re gonna have the best moms ever.”

“And they’re gonna have the best uncle, too,” Veronica says.

“Eh, Marco’s okay, I guess,” Leandro shrugs, “And Luis isn’t _bad_ either.” Veronica chuckles. Leandro looks at the time in the corner of his screen, “Oh, _man._ ” He frowns, “They’re shutting the Wi-Fi off in five minutes, I gotta go. I love you guys,” He says.

“We love you too,” Veronica says, “See you soon.”

“Lancey Lance!” says Angela, and she waves bye-bye.

“Bye, Angelita, I love you,” He says, and he makes a kissy face at her. Then he hangs up.

They talk again a few days after that.

-

Veronica is still 25 when Leandro is almost 17. He hasn’t called this week, and Veronica’s worried. She’s tempted to do what she said she would a couple years ago, and call him in the middle of class.

“He’s just busy,” She mutters to herself when that urge comes to her again, and she pours coffee into her _WORLD’S BEST SISTER_ mug. It’s been her favorite since he gave it to her, “He is in high school, after all. That’s a busy time.”

Angela is sleeping, and so is her new little brother. His birth mother let Cameron and Veronica name him. They chose the name Leo, partly after the stars, partly after his uncle. Veronica remembers how Leandro cried tears of joy when she told him the reasoning for Leo’s name, it was in the same call he told her that he’d been promoted to fighter pilot now. Cameron is still in the room with the babies, Veronica thinks they might have fallen asleep in the rocking chair.

She’s raising the mug to her mouth when her phone rings. It’s her mother. “Mamá, hi--” She starts to answer, but she hears her mother crying on the other end. “Mamá…? Mamá, what is it?”

“The Garrison called,” Her mother says, and Veronica braces herself. She doesn’t think this will be good news.

“Did he get expelled?” Veronica asks.

“No.”

She doesn’t want to ask her next question. “Then, Mamá, why are you crying?”

“Leandro went missing a few days ago, and two other kids,” Her mother says, and Veronica’s heart drops. She has a feeling that that isn’t the end of the bad news. “Now they’re saying--” She hears her mother swallow a sob. “They’re saying that he’s-- he’s dead.”

Veronica drops her mug. It shatters. Her heart shatters with it.

 _“No…”_ She wants to scream it. She wants to scream it over and over and over again, so loud the entire world can hear it. She wants to scream it so loud that it’s the only word the world can hear, and she wants to scream it till they forget all the others. She wants to scream it till it’s the only word in the world. “He-- He _can’t_ be, I--” She’s crying, tears blur her vision. “How do they _know?_ What-- What happened?” She asks, “Did they-- did they find him? Did they _look?”_

“They won’t tell me, Roni,” Her mother says, sounding broken. “They won’t tell me anything.” Her mother’s voice is full of a quiet anger, and Veronica can feel it, too.

“I want the school’s number,” Veronica says, with more determination than she’s ever said anything before. “Mamá, will you give it to me?”

“Yes,” Her mother says, and gives it to her. Veronica writes it down on the notepad that’s held to her fridge with a magnet. Veronica and her mother exchange words of comfort, and the call ends.

Veronica mops up the coffee and cleans up the broken pieces of her mug. She doesn’t throw them away, she puts them in a tupperware container.

She finds one of the boxes from when she and Cameron first moved here that they still haven’t thrown away, gets a marker, writes _LEANDRO_ in big cursive letters, and underlines it. She puts the tupperware container with the broken mug into the box, along with every other gift from Leandro that she can find. The drawing from her 14th birthday, one of the first scarves he ever knitted, the flash drive with all those songs he wrote for her when he decided that he’d be famous when he grew up. Everything she can find.

She puts the box in her closet, and finds Cameron.

She’s crying when she tells them, and soon Cameron is too. They hug her. Veronica isn’t looking forward to when Angela asks for Lancey Lance, and she has to tell her, too. She doesn’t want Leo to grow up with no memories of his uncle, except for stories.

There’s not a single part of her that wants to believe it. Veronica doesn’t want to believe that Leandro’s dead. Part of her is convinced he isn’t. She thinks it might be like when the family dog died, and Leandro asked when she was coming back when their parents broke the news. But she also thinks, that part of her could be right.

The Kerberos Mission. The Galaxy Garrison had reported every member dead, but Veronica remembers seeing things about that little hacker girl on the news. Katie Holt. Her brother and father were on that mission, and there were rumors that she only got kicked out of the school because she was too close to exposing their lies. If Veronica remembers what Leandro told her about Keith correctly, then Keith didn’t believe that every crew member was dead either. Maybe Keith, Katie, and that part of her could form a trio. She’d give that part of her a ‘K' name, and they’d be called the Garrison Death Deniers. That sounds like a metal name for a trio.

It’s entirely plausible that Leandro’s still alive. The Garrison had only told them he was dead, without any other details. The part of her that believes he’s alive doesn’t think that’s very convincing.

But it’s also entirely plausible that he’s dead. And if he’s dead, then, how did he die? When did he first go missing, and why did the Garrison wait until he was dead to say anything about it? Did they even find his body? Did they even look? Veronica is already sick and tired of not having answers. And if he’s dead, what if he’d never applied to the Garrison? Veronica remembers how Leandro told her that he wouldn’t have if it weren’t for her. What if she’d just suggested a different school, Veronica wonders, instead of the Garrison, would he be safe now? Would he be alive? Maybe he would be. But Veronica’s sure that his heart would break. She’d never given up on him before, so why would she start then? Veronica isn’t sure what she would’ve changed from back then if she could’ve seen into the future.

Did they find him? Did they even _look?_

Veronica is already sick and tired of not having answers.

She dials the number that she wrote on the fridge’s notepad into her cellphone, and waits.

“This is the Galaxy Garrison,” The voice on the other line answers in English.

“My name is Veronica McClain,” She says, her English is heavily accented, so she tries her best to speak slowly, that way she’s sure to be understood. “Leandro McClain was-- I’m Leandro McClain’s sister.”

“Oh,” The person on the other end says, “I heard about that. I’m so sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you. Can you tell me how he died?” Veronica asks, and she’s pleading, and with every word she speaks she wants to cry more and more, “Or if they found the-- his body? Or when they noticed he was missing? Or how long he was missing for? Can you tell me anything?”

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” They say, “I don’t know. And even if I did, I’m not authorized to share that information.” And that makes Veronica so angry, because she knows that she deserves answers. She wants to start yelling, but she knows that the person on the other end is the wrong person to be yelling at. They’re just the person who answers the phone. They’re just an innocent person trying to do their job.

“Who is?” Veronica asks, “And how can I speak with them?”

“Well,” They say, “There’s Commander Iverson, but he’s a bit… Well, he can be kind of… uh...” It is very obvious that they’re trying to find a nice way to call him a jerk.

“Leandro told me all about Commander Iverson,” Veronica says, tearing a piece of paper from the fridge notepad and getting a pen, “Would you give me his number?”

“If you’re sure,” They say.

“I am.”

They give her Commander Iverson’s number.

“Commander Iverson,” Comes Iverson’s gruff voice on the other end of the line. He is also speaking in English.

“My name is Veronica McClain,” She tells him. “I’m Leandro McClain’s sister.”

“Sorry for your loss,” Iverson says, but for some reason he doesn’t sound sincere at all. Maybe that’s just his voice.

“Thank you,” Veronica says, “Do you know how he died?” She hates asking. But she has to.

“Ma’am,” Iverson says, “You don’t have the clearance to obtain that information.”

“I…” Veronica wasn’t expecting that answer, she moves her mouth for a few seconds, trying to decide on what to say. “I’m his _family._ What more _clearance_ do I need?”

“You aren’t his legal guardian,” says Iverson.

“You won’t tell our mother, either!” Veronica says, and she’s _trying_ not to sound angry, but she can’t help it. She _is_ angry. “Did you find his body? How long was he missing? Why did you wait until he was _dead_ to say anything?” Her eyes are watering, and she can’t speak slowly anymore. Speaking in English while she’s mad like this is hard enough. 

“Look, I’m sorry for your loss,” Iverson grumbles, “But I can’t bring your brother back from the dead.”

Her whole body is tense, her jaw is clenched. Iverson must be truly heartless to say something like that. For once, Leandro hadn’t been exaggerating. “I am not asking you to!” She tells him, “I don’t want the gory details, I don’t want to know how _mauled_ his body was when you found him, I just want to know if you _did!_ Did you find him, Commander?” She asks, and her voice is breaking, “Did you even _look?”_

“Sorry for your lo--” He starts to say again, but Veronica cuts him off.

“I deserve _more_ than your _empty sympathy_ ,” She tells him, “My family--” She stops short and corrects herself, _“Leandro’s_ family deserves more than your _empty sympathy!_ We deserve answers! We deserve to _know!”_

“Goodbye, Ms. McClain.”

She doesn’t tell him that it’s _Mrs_. “Don’t hang up on me---” She starts, but Iverson has already ended the call. She dials the number again.

“Ma’am,” He says, “If you call again, I’m blocking your number.”

“What are you gaining?” Veronica asks him, and she can hear the angry sobs in every word she speaks, “What are you gaining from keeping answers from us? Do you _enjoy_ this? Is this even legal? This _can’t_ be legal. How _hard_ is it to _answer_ some _questions?_ ”

“Ma’am,” says Iverson, but Veronica talks over him again.

“If you won’t give me answers, Commander,” She’s pleading, and she feels the hand that isn’t holding the phone ball into a fist, _“Then at least tell me why you can’t.”_

“Goodbye, ma’am.” Iverson hangs up. She calls again. Her number gets blocked.

She cries. She cries, and she cries, until she can’t cry anymore.

She deserves answers. 

The next week, Veronica buys a megaphone and a plane ticket. She packs some clothes, a sleeping bag, and a tent. She kisses her wife and each of her children goodbye, then she flies to America. She buys some food and water when she gets there.

She sets up her tent right outside the Garrison property, so she isn’t _technically_ trespassing. She brings the megaphone to her mouth, and starts yelling. In English, so that she’s understood. She starts yelling all her questions. Veronica yells, and she yells, and she only stops for food, water, and sleep. She yells until her voice is hoarse and her throat is sore. Then she keeps going.

She’s there for days, and she has to leave when the police are called. She feels terrible about it, like she’s giving up on her baby brother. She tells herself that Leandro would want her to be there for her family. Veronica knows that it’s true. But she feels terrible. She feels terrible because she was fighting so, so hard.

But she still lost.

She goes home. Cameron does their best to comfort her, typing reassuring words into their text to speech app.

 _“You did your best,”_ The robotic voice comes from their phone’s speaker. _“Did everything you could."_

“It wasn’t enough,” Veronica shakes her head, and her eyes water. “I did everything I could, and it wasn’t enough.”

_“Leandro would be grateful.”_

And then Veronica is sobbing. Cameron puts their phone to the side, Veronica’s shoulders shake as they hug her.

“I just--” Veronica sobs, and her voice falters as she speaks. “I just want him-- I want him _back._ I want my baby brother back.” Her face is wet with tears. “He was only-- only _16_ years-- o-old.” Cameron holds her tighter. 

Cameron can’t speak, but Veronica knows what they mean. She feels the unspoken words in Cameron’s embrace. _I know._

Veronica cries harder.

What if he’d never applied to the Garrison? What if Veronica had just suggested a different school?

The “What if…?” never leaves.

-

Veronica’s efforts don’t go unnoticed. She’s surprised when she sees herself on the news, but she supposes she shouldn't be. Everything she did was definitely a story.

Two older women from Samoa contact her. They introduce themselves as Aigafelofoni and Nafanua Garrett, and they tell her that the Garrison is doing the same thing with their son. Iosefa. They won’t tell them anything. They tell her that the kids there called him “Hunk.”

Veronica had only spoken to Hunk-- No, _Iosefa._ She’d never gotten permission to call him by a nickname. --when he would interrupt Leandro’s video chats with her, or he’d join in uninvited to tell Veronica about something mildly embarrassing Leandro did. He always addressed her as “Lance’s sister.” He was Leandro’s best friend, and it hurts to hear that he’s gone.

An American woman gets in touch with her, too. She’s in her early 40s, her name is Colleen Holt, and she says she used to have a family. She tells Veronica that the other boy that went missing, Pidge Gunderson, is actually her daughter, Katie Holt in disguise. Veronica promises not to tell anyone. Colleen can’t exactly ask the Garrison anything, but Veronica doubts they would tell her, either.

Veronica flies to America again. This time, she brings her family. She brings her wife and her children, she brings her grandmother and her mother and her brothers. She finds her father, and she brings him too.

Aigafelofoni and Nafanua fly to America from Samoa, and they bring their twin daughters, Leilei and Iona. Leilei and Iona look like they’re around Veronica’s age. They lost their baby brother, too.

They all meet up at Colleen’s house. They make signs, and write chants, and they all go to stand right outside the Garrison property. They show their signs and they chant their chants.

They go back to Colleen’s when the day is done. The next day, they do it again. The day after that, they do it again. They do it again, and again, and again.

They make the news, and they’re a hashtag now. #AnswerThem trends on Twitter.

More and more people pour in, people with no relation whatsoever to Leandro, or Iosefa, or Katie. Strangers who only came to help because their hearts are good, because they have families too and they would hate for this to happen to them. Strangers who only came because they know how to love.

It’s amazing, Veronica thinks, it’s amazing everything love can do.

-

Leandro would’ve turned 18 today, and Veronica turns 27 next month. The Garrison never gave their family answers, and it eventually got too dangerous to keep demanding them. Eventually, everyone got tired. Veronica is so grateful for everyone who tried to help, and she doesn’t hold anything against them. It isn’t their fault that they got tired. It’s the Garrison’s fault that they wouldn't answer them.

Veronica and her family have gone back home now. Veronica tries to go on with her life. She tries so hard.

Cameron shakes Veronica awake that morning, Veronica sits up and grumbles. Cameron’s holding something.

Cameron is holding the _WORLD’S BEST SISTER_ mug that Leandro had gifted to her along with the news that he’d been accepted into the Garrison. The cracks are visible, and it’s obvious that it’s been broken and put back together. But it’s been put back together. 

Veronica stares at it for a while, and she takes it carefully from Cameron. She stares at it some more.

“When did you…” She starts to ask, breathlessly, “When did you do this?”

“It… was...” Cameron tries, but they’re straining to speak.

“Cariña,” Veronica gently sets the mug down on their bedside table, and she stands up. “Cariña, stop, you’re hurting yourself,” Veronica says, because they are. Veronica stands, and hugs them. _“Thank you,”_ She says, and she kisses her wife.

She puts the mug somewhere safe.

It would be Leandro’s 18th birthday today. Veronica takes her family to her mother's house. Marco is there already, and so is Luis. Luis brought his daughters, too. Leandro never got to meet them. Their grandmother and their father arrive a little late.

They cry, and they hug. They eat and they recall memories, like that time when Veronica was trying to crochet a hat and it wasn’t working out, so 6-year-old Leandro cut it off of the yarn skein, somehow managed to shove it onto the cat, and said that the kitty has a skirt now. They talk about how he had no fear, how he would cry about big scary roller coasters-- not because they were big and scary, but because he wasn’t big enough to ride them yet. They talk about how he actually _liked_ studying, and they laugh as they fondly remember how his ears would turn red and he’d sputter something about not being a _nerd_ whenever anybody brought it up. They talk about how talented he was, they talk about how it always took him awhile to get the hang of things when he was first learning, but he never gave up. He kept working until he mastered everything he tried, and then he worked harder.

They cry and hug some more.

Veronica remembers how Leandro once told her he didn’t deserve to be loved.

She wonders if he still thought that when he disappeared.

She almost forgets to check the mail when she comes home. Almost. She runs out to it once her family is inside. It’s bills, mostly. But there’s something else, some strange piece of technology she’s never seen before. A sleek rectangle, with a button. She isn’t sure what it does.

She goes inside, puts the envelopes where she can find them later, and she keeps staring at the rectangle.

She’s scared it might be a bomb or something dangerous like that, but, she has this weird feeling. This weird feeling that it probably isn’t.

She pushes the button, and it’s a hologram. A hologram of a screen. She drops the rectangle and steps back, because on that screen-- She can’t decide whether to laugh or cry when she sees him.

Leandro.

_It’s Leandro._

He looks so much _older._ And is he wearing armor? Why is he wearing armor? He looks like he’s on a ship, of some sort. It’s unlike any ship Veronica’s ever seen. His eyes look like they’ve seen far too many things that they shouldn’t have.

He’s alive.

“Hi, Roni,” says the Leandro on the screen, and Veronica swears his voice has to be the single most beautiful sound in the universe. She’s never been more grateful for anything. He rubs the back of his neck, “So, uh... I know I promised that I wouldn’t, but I… _kind of_ snuck out.”

She puts a hand over her mouth to stifle the sob that comes out of it.

He talks, and he talks, and he talks. He tells her everything, he tells her that the Kerberos Mission had _no_ fatalities, and that he’d personally met every crew member, he tells her about this magical robot called Voltron, and the Voltron lions, and how they found the paladins _destined_ for them, and how he’s one of them. He tells her how now he’s a paladin of Voltron in an intergalactic space war.

_Her baby brother is in a war._

_Her baby brother is alive._

He tells her about the other paladins, how the kids that disappeared with him, Iosefa and Katie, and one of the pilots of the Kerberos Mission, Takashi Shirogane, are paladins too. He calls them Hunk, Pidge, and Shiro. He proudly tells her how Katie is learning Altean, and how he really, _really_ likes the Altean princess. ( “Allura’s _really, really_ cool, and really brave,” He tells her, “But I don’t really… I don’t really think anything will happen. It’s kind of hard to accept that, but, you know, I probably should.”) He tells her about an Altean named Coran, (“Coran’s nice,” He says, “But, man, I am _so_ grateful that Hunk is here. The Galra haven’t killed me yet, but I’m like, 100% sure Coran’s _food_ would.”) He tells her about Keith, how he’s up there too, (“Hey, remember my rival, Keith? The guy with the mullet that stabbed Iverson’s eye out?” He asks, “Turns out he’s cool, actually. Really cool. But he can never know that I said that. Anyway, we’re friends now, but I haven’t seen him in a while.” He tells her about the Blade of Marmora, how it turns out that Keith’s part alien, and how Keith stepped down from Voltron to join them. “I kind of miss him,” Leandro says, “Also, he keeps giving me grey hairs.” He frowns and tugs slightly at the hair atop of his head to show her. “He’s almost _died_ like, 50 times since we got up here! Keeps throwing himself into the void and stuff. I’m starting to look like Shiro.”) He tells her about how they lost Takashi Shirogane, and how they had to switch lions around, and how they found him again. He tells her about Zarkon, and Lotor. He tells her about how he really doesn’t trust Lotor for a second, and how he can’t do anything about it even though he really, really wants to knock him into the next dimension. Then he tells her that would be mean to the next dimension. He tells her that alternate dimensions exist and that he’s been to one.

He tells her everything.

Veronica watches, and she hangs on to every single word.

Her baby brother.

Her baby brother who’s a _warrior_ now.

Her baby brother that she watched take his first steps, and heard speak his first words. Her baby brother who she helped to spoon feed and dress and bathe. Her baby brother who had her check the closet for monsters. Her baby brother who she would hold and comfort while he cried for hours on end.

Her baby brother whose face moves like a cartoon character, who exaggerates and acts out every single story he tells. Her baby brother who’s goofy, and loud, and tries so hard to be cool because for some reason he can’t see that he is cool already.

Her baby brother whose heart is bigger than the universe itself.

Her baby brother who’s alive.

“So, anyway,” Leandro says, “I’m alive for now. I hope that I’m still alive by the time you get this. But, you know, if my life-- if my life is the price to pay for someone else’s…” He trails off, and he looks very serious. “Then I’m-- I’m willing.”

Veronica’s heart can’t decide how to feel. Sometimes it hurts to love someone who’s selfless.

“I’m not-- I’m not sure when I’ll be home,” Leandro continues, “Or if-- if I’ll even get to _go_ home,” He says, and he’s visibly and audibly fighting back tears when he does, “But, yeah!” He smiles tightly, “This is what happened. This is what happened to me. I hope I come home. I love you. Tell Cameron, and Angela, and Leo that I love them, too. Bye, Veronica. I miss you,” He looks like he’s about to shut the recording off, but he hesitates. “I love you,” He says again. The recording ends, the screen disappears.

Veronica cries.

Veronica cries, and for the first time in a long time, they’re tears of joy.

They’re tears of joy because Leandro was alive when he recorded this, he could still be alive now.

They’re tears of joy because she finally has answers. They’re tears of joy because her baby brother might come home.

She gets her phone out, because her family, and Katie’s family, and Iosefa’s family all deserve to know what happened.

She has text messages already. From her mother and her brothers, from Colleen and from Aigafelofoni. Each and every one of them is telling her what happened. Telling her that they finally have answers.

Veronica is angry for a moment, because this means that the Garrison had given up on looking before they found them. This meant that the Garrison had lied about their deaths, and claimed they were dead without any evidence.

Mostly, though, she’s happy. It’s extremely likely that Leandro’s still alive.

He said there was a chance he wouldn’t come home. But a chance that he wouldn’t also means a chance that he would.

Leandro might come home.

She watches the recording over and over and over. She shows Cameron, and she lets Angela and Leo watch, too.

Cameron’s crying with her. Angela is so excited to see Lancey Lance again, and Leo’s still too little to understand very well.

But little Leo might get the chance to know his uncle.

Her baby brother might come home.

-

Leandro will turn 19 this year, and Veronica will turn 28.

She still watches that recording. It reminds her a little bit of when they used to video chat, except they aren’t talking in real time, and it’s a one-sided conversation. Leandro can’t hear her, or see her.

She wishes that he could.

She wishes that he could see or hear her, because she knows that a face or a voice from home would help him so much.

She wishes that he could hear her, so that she could tell him that she loves him too, she misses him too, so that she could tell him that she’s so proud of him, even if she’s worried.

She wishes that he could see her, so that he could see how happy it makes her that he’s alive.

Or, might be alive.

He was alive long enough to live through all the events he talked about. He might still be alive now.

She tries not to think too hard about the “might.”

Veronica and Cameron are in the living room with Leo and Angela, watching as Leo uses Angela’s old walker and Angela tries to help him. She says things like “You’re doing great! Good job!” and hovers, ready to catch her little brother on the off chance he should fall. Angela’s voice is a little bit monotone, and she speaks very quickly, probably due to the fact that Cameron has to use a text to speech app to speak at all.

Veronica is in a curled up position on the couch. She’s hugging her knees to her chest, resting her head against her wife’s shoulder, and smiling fondly.

Leandro would’ve loved to see this. He would’ve been so proud of Leo, and so proud of Angela for cheering on and trying her best to help her little brother.

Leandro would have gotten down there and been a cheerleader, too.

She hears rapid knocking at the door. She makes an irritated face. Cameron looks at her sympathetically, and Veronica gets up.

 _“Hey!”_ She yells at it, “I am _coming.”_

She opens the door, and Veronica forgets about being irritated once she sees who it is.

She stands, and she stares. She doesn’t know whether to laugh or sob.

“Whoa, Roni, what’s up with your face?” Leandro asks, and he looks behind himself at all the people he brought with him. He brought Iosefa and Katie, and a boy with long black hair and a marking on his face. Veronica thinks this must be Keith. He brought Takashi Shirogane, and Matt Holt, 2/3rds of the team on the Kerberos Mission. He brought three people that look like elves with brightly colored facial markings and brightly colored pupils, they must be Altean, and one purple woman with two markings on her face that look similar to Keith’s. “I know that I kind of brought aliens, but… I didn’t bring any ghosts.”

Veronica calls for Cameron to bring Angela and Leo, and she crushes her baby brother in a hug.

Her baby brother who’s home now.

Once everyone’s introduced, Veronica invites them inside. Her home is bustling with more life than it has in a long time.

Keith and Cameron are in the middle of conversation, and they’re speaking in Spanish. Keith’s grammar is good, for someone who doesn’t speak it natively, but…

_“Do you take constructive criticism on your Spanish? I don’t want to sound rude.”_

“No, go ahead. I want to hear it.”

_“Your accent fucking sucks.”_

Leandro loses it from his spot on the floor where he’s playing with Angela. He tells Angela not to say that word, but he’s still laughing.

“Sorry, Keith,” Leandro says, wiping tears from his eyes, “They are right, though. It does need work.”

“...Noted.”

Iosefa goes on to tell Keith exactly how much work it needs. Keith visibly fights back the urge to snap at him, and Takashi gives Keith a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

“Princess Allura, right?” Veronica asks the Altean with the pink markings and silver hair.

“Yes,” The princess nods. She isn’t speaking Spanish, or English, but somehow Veronica can understand her perfectly. Must be some weird alien thing.

“Would you mind holding Leo for a bit?” She asks, and before Princess Allura can answer, Leo is in her arms.

“Wow, uh, thank you.” The princess smiles awkwardly, and she looks like she has no clue what she’s doing. “Pidge, here,” Princess Allura says, and she hands Leo off to Katie.

Veronica chuckles. She’s glad, that even in space, billions of lightyears away from his own, her baby brother still managed to find a family.

“Hey, Leandro?” She asks.

“Yeah?” He asks, looking up at her.

“I have a box,” She tells him, “I’ve been meaning to unpack it. Would you help?”

“Yeah, sure,” He says, getting up. “Angela, Leo, don’t start loving my friends more than your favorite uncle, okay?”

“I won’t,” Angela promises, and Leandro smiles wide.

“I love you.”

Veronica takes him to her room, pulls the box labeled _LEANDRO_ out of the closet, and sets it down on hers and Cameron’s bed.

“When the Garrison told us you were dead,” She starts, “I put all the stuff you gave me in here.”

“The Garrison told you _what?”_ Leandro asks, and he sounds so much like their mother in that moment. He has her same quiet anger.

“Did Mamá not tell you?”

“No,” says Leandro, shaking his head, “Or… maybe? I don’t know. It was kind of hard to understand her, she was crying a lot. I figured it was cos she hadn’t seen me in…” He pauses, thinking. “Do you know how old I am?”

“You’ll be 19 in 4 months.”

“Over two years, then,” Leandro says. “Wow. That’s a long time.”

“It is,” Veronica agrees, and she opens the box. “They wouldn’t tell us anything. They wouldn’t tell us how you died, or if they found you, or if they _looked,_ ” She says, and it’s only now that she realizes that she’s been on the verge of tears for the past hour. Her eyes water. “I fought--- I fought so hard, and they didn’t tell us _anything._ I hate that school. I hate it so much.” 

Veronica doesn’t say that she hates things very often. Leandro’s hugging her now, and she’s crying with her face buried into his shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” She says, “Leandro, I’m so sorry.”

“What?” He asks, in a deep calming voice that’s barely above a whisper, “What for?”

“If-- If I’d just suggested a different school, then--” She starts, but Leandro cuts her off.

“Neither of us could’ve helped this,” He tells her. “There were no decisions we could’ve made that would’ve stopped me from becoming a paladin. It was written in the stars, and honestly? I’m glad it was. The universe needed me. You can’t blame yourself." 

“I’m messing up your shirt,” She says, because she is.

“There’s an infinite amount of shirts in the world,” He recites, “And none of them have feelings.”

Veronica chuckles through her sobs, “I can’t believe you’re here.”

“For a little bit, yeah. But we’re just… running an errand. I have to go back soon. The whole intergalactic space war thing is still going on,” He tells her. “We only stopped in Cuba because I begged.”

“Still,” Veronica says, and she pulls back from the hug. “You’re safe, and alive, and you’re here.”

“I’m safe,” Leandro nods. He’s smiling and his eyes are glassy with tears that haven’t fallen yet, “And alive. And I’m here.”

He pushes her bangs back. He kisses her forehead.

**Author's Note:**

> you know what's fun? parallels. anyway i had fun and you can come yell at me at www.letkeithinfodump.tumblr.com


End file.
